Quill and Quire

Book news

« Back to
Quillblog

Family Literacy Day events take place across Canada this weekend

Barbara Reid, honourary chair of Family Literacy Day 2017 (photo: Ian Crysler)

Barbara Reid, honorary chair of Family Literacy Day 2017 (Ian Crysler)

Friday, Jan. 27, marks the 18th annual Family Literacy Day, a national awareness campaign launched by ABC Life Literacy Canada, aimed at encouraging families to participate in literacy-building activities. This year’s honorary chair is author-illustrator Barbara Reid, who created a video to promote the occasion.

As part of the initiative, libraries, community centres, schools, and literacy organizations are hosting a number of activities and events over the weekend, from puppet shows and bingo games to library sleepovers and special story times. Some highlights from across the country include an event hosted by Literacy Nova Scotia at the Dartmouth Community Centre, featuring poet laureate Sheree Fitch and local author Starr Dobson along with music and appearances by Disney princesses Tiana and book-loving Belle. The Innisfail Public Library, in Innsafail, Alberta, is celebrating its first Family Literacy Festival with appearances by local authors and illustrators, a 3-D printer demonstration, and a manga teleconference with Japan. And on Jan. 28, the Juan de Fuca branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library will launch its StoryWalks program, which allows young patrons to enjoy a story by following a circuit of pages mounted to pegs outdoors.